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Diane Lane talks therapy and adopting a tortoise
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Diane Lane talks therapy and adopting a tortoise

This week, Emmy-nominee Diane Lane joins Dulcé Sloan, Adam Burke, and Adam Felber to talk therapy, tortoises, and Capote vs. The Swans

Diane Lane talks therapy and adopting a tortoise

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Zoë Kravitz's 'Blink Twice' is a very weird and ambitious big swing

Channing Tatum stars as Slater King in Blink Twice. Zachary Greenwood/Amazon MGM Studios hide caption

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Zachary Greenwood/Amazon MGM Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Zoë Kravitz's 'Blink Twice' is a very weird and ambitious big swing

In the new psychological thriller Blink Twice, Naomi Ackie plays a woman who is invited to the private island of a tech billionaire, played by Channing Tatum. He's recently re-entered public life after a scandal and has gathered his friends for a long party. But as the party stretches on, it's clear that something is seriously amiss. Blink Twice is the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz, and the vibes are definitely pretty weird.

Zoë Kravitz's 'Blink Twice' is a very weird and ambitious big swing

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"The Squad" loses two members; plus, Colman Domingo shines in 'SING SING'

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Michael B. Thomas/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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It's Been a Minute

"The Squad" loses two members; plus, Colman Domingo shines in 'SING SING'

As the dust settles on the DNC, host Brittany Luse takes a look at the challenges facing a group of progressive democrats commonly known as "The Squad." Incumbent Reps. Cori Bush in Missouri and Jamaal Bowman in New York lost their seats this summer to candidates whose campaigns received funding from pro-Israel PACs. Brittany is joined by POLITICO Congress reporter Sarah Ferris and Capital B News national politics reporter Brandon Tensley to understand how these PACs are impacting progressives in Congress.

"The Squad" loses two members; plus, Colman Domingo shines in 'SING SING'

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Why Rob Delaney loves failure: 'I smash it up into a powder and I snort it'

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Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Why Rob Delaney loves failure: 'I smash it up into a powder and I snort it'

Rob Delaney has experienced great success as a comedian and actor. He created and starred in the acclaimed TV series Catastrophe and he's been featured in blockbuster movies like this summer's Deadpool & Wolverine. But he's also experienced tragedy, including the death of his son. He talks to Rachel about loss, failure and why he kind of wants a meteor to hit his house.

Why Rob Delaney loves failure: 'I smash it up into a powder and I snort it'

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The reality TV shows we'd actually win

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Food Network

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The reality TV shows we'd actually win

Part of the fun of reality TV is putting yourself in the shoes of the people you're watching. Maybe you'd make a great Real Housewife. Maybe you could win The Amazing Race. Maybe you could even win the fickle hand of The Bachelor. We're not here to make friends, but we are here to pick the reality shows that we think could thrive on.

The reality TV shows we'd actually win

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The Bay Area SMACKDOWN: Maya Angelou vs. Harvey Milk vs. MC Hammer

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It's Been a Minute

The Bay Area SMACKDOWN: Maya Angelou vs. Harvey Milk vs. MC Hammer

Who will win today's cage match?

The Bay Area SMACKDOWN: Maya Angelou vs. Harvey Milk vs. MC Hammer

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The physical media we still treasure
Mikhail Dmitriev/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The physical media we still treasure

The vinyl record, the CD, the DVD, the VHS tape — even the paper book has been the subject of debate and concern over its future. But we haven't given up our collections just yet. Today, we're revisiting our conversation about the physical media we still treasure.

The physical media we still treasure

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Wait Wait trains all summer for the coming political season
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Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Wait Wait trains all summer for the coming political season

This week, Wait Wait starts training for the coming political season with some of our favorite guests including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chris Pine, Natasha Lyonne, and more

Wait Wait trains all summer for the coming political season

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'The Sixth Sense' and a career of plot twists

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Getty Images/Getty Images

Consider This from NPR

'The Sixth Sense' and a career of plot twists

Twenty-five years ago this month, one film, and one filmmaker, became synonymous with the big plot twist.

'The Sixth Sense' and a career of plot twists

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The Twin Cities SMACKDOWN: The Peanuts vs. Prince vs. Dungeons & Dragons

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It's Been a Minute

The Twin Cities SMACKDOWN: The Peanuts vs. Prince vs. Dungeons & Dragons

Who will win today's cage match?

The Twin Cities SMACKDOWN: The Peanuts vs. Prince vs. Dungeons & Dragons

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'Alien: Romulus' goes deep (space) into the horror

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Murray Close/20th Century Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Alien: Romulus' goes deep (space) into the horror

Alien: Romulus is the latest entry in the venerable Alien sci-fi/horror film franchise, and it leans hard into the horror. The new movie stars Cailee Spaeney as one of a young crew of space miners, along with David Jonsson as her android brother. You'll never guess what species of slimy extraterrestrial evil they encounter. Faces get hugged, chests get burst, and acid blood eats through everything.

'Alien: Romulus' goes deep (space) into the horror

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'Didi' captures the awkwardness of adolescence almost too well

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Focus Features

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Didi' captures the awkwardness of adolescence almost too well

The movie Didi is a vibrant coming-of-age dramedy and was a Sundance film festival favorite. It stars Izaac Wang as a 13-year-old just trying to survive the awkwardness of puberty as a Taiwanese-American kid living in the Bay Area. He's got a crush to impress, complicated friendships to navigate, and family members who are sooooo embarrassing. Didi was directed by Sean Wang, who earned an Oscar nomination earlier this year for his documentary short Nai Nai & Wai Po.

'Didi' captures the awkwardness of adolescence almost too well

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$#@*! we're talking profanity in pop culture
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Pop Culture Happy Hour

$#@*! we're talking profanity in pop culture

We've got dirty words on the brain, and we're chatting about the use and functions of profanity in entertainment. In this encore episode from 2013, we cover everything from Anchorman to South Park to Shakespeare.

$#@*! we're talking profanity in pop culture

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Does 'weird' work for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?

VP nominee Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump. Andrew Harnik; Natalie Behring / AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Harnik; Natalie Behring / AFP/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Does 'weird' work for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?

Ever since Minnesota governor and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz called Republicans "weird," we've seen other Democrats embrace this name-calling strategy and deploy it in interviews and in memes online. We've also seen Republicans lobbing the "weird" moniker right back at Democrats. To get into how "weird" this all is, Brittany chats with NPR culture reporter Andrew Limbong and NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben about this new political strategy and redefining "normalcy" in 2024.

Does 'weird' work for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?

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Wait Wait's Summer Break with Jason Isbell, Rachel Maddow, and more!
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Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Wait Wait's Summer Break with Jason Isbell, Rachel Maddow, and more!

This week, we celebrate the dog days of summer with Jason Isbell, Rachel Maddow, and more!

Wait Wait's Summer Break with Jason Isbell, Rachel Maddow, and more!

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The summer hits reveal some complicated vibes

Chappell Roan, Tinashe, Shaboozey, Sabrina Carpenter, and Post Malone (L-R) are all vying for song of the summer. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Universal Music Group/Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Spotify/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella/Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Vogue/Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption

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Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Universal Music Group/Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Spotify/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella/Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Vogue/Jamie Squire/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

The summer hits reveal some complicated vibes

Now that we're in the dog days of summer, host Brittany Luse wants to know - do we have a song of the summer this year? According to NPR Music reporter Sidney Madden and NPR Music host, writer and editor Stephen Thompson, there isn't one song - but many songs.

The summer hits reveal some complicated vibes

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'It Ends With Us' is a melodrama with serious undertones

Blake Lively in It Ends With Us. Sony Pictures hide caption

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Sony Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'It Ends With Us' is a melodrama with serious undertones

The 2016 Colleen Hoover novel It Ends With Us was a massive bestseller. And now that book is a movie. Blake Lively stars as Lily Bloom, a woman who falls for a hot neurosurgeon played by Justin Baldoni — who also directs the film. But their relationship is complicated by the return of her old flame (Brandon Sklenar). She also has to reckon with her feelings about her abusive father and the mother who stayed with him.

'It Ends With Us' is a melodrama with serious undertones

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Taffy Brodesser-Akner was kicked out of multiple schools. This is what she learned

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Emil Cohen

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Taffy Brodesser-Akner was kicked out of multiple schools. This is what she learned

Taffy Brodesser-Akner built her journalism career with her incisive celebrity profiles and then found additional success with two novels that examine wealth and class, including this year's Long Island Compromise. She and Rachel talk about what makes fame and fortune so compelling, whether some people are just innately restless, and longing for a conversation with a burning bush.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner was kicked out of multiple schools. This is what she learned

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Three great fiction audiobooks
Angela Hsieh/NPR

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great fiction audiobooks

It's summer, and whether you're taking a trip – or simply staying out of the heat with the AC running – there's nothing like relaxing with a good audiobook. So in this encore episode, we are recommending three of our favorite fiction audiobooks.

Three great fiction audiobooks

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If you're on the fence(-ing), here's why we love the Olympics

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Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

If you're on the fence(-ing), here's why we love the Olympics

There is nothing better for the summer doldrums than a blast of Olympic glory. For a couple of weeks this summer, athletes are showing us how they flip, run, swim, climb, and paddle and even breakdance to prove they are the best in the world. We're checking in with the 2024 Olympics, including wins for gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky, and sprinter Noah Lyles.

If you're on the fence(-ing), here's why we love the Olympics

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Code Switch: Do we need to stop using the word "felon"?

What the reaction to Trump's felony conviction tells us about the word "felon" Jackie Lay hide caption

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Jackie Lay

It's Been a Minute

Code Switch: Do we need to stop using the word "felon"?

Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the presidential race, things changed. Her campaign almost immediately started framing the election as: Harris, the former prosecutor - vs. Trump the felon. And that word - "felon" - is one that our friends over at NPR's Code Switch have been thinking a lot about since former President Trump was convicted of 34 counts back in May. In this episode, Code Switch co-hosts B.A. Parker and Gene Demby chop it up with the comedian Arif Shahid, who performs under the name Felonious Munk, to talk about what it means for him to carry this reference to his felony conviction so publicly. Then, Gene talks to Josie Duffy-Rice, a writer who focuses on the criminal justice system, to look at the ways "felon" sticks to people long after their sentences end.

Code Switch: Do we need to stop using the word "felon"?

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Colman Domingo's 'Sing Sing' is a rare empathetic prison drama

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Colman Domingo's 'Sing Sing' is a rare empathetic prison drama

The moving drama Sing Sing stars Colman Domingo as the leader of a tight-knit theatre ensemble within one of the most notorious maximum-security prisons in the United States. Most of the cast are alumni of the actual program who had input on the filmmaking process. The movie showcases the ups and downs of putting on a show without being overly sentimental or cliché.

Colman Domingo's 'Sing Sing' is a rare empathetic prison drama

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